Set in Melbourne, Australia during the 1930's and 40's art scene. I loved this book. The characters were well defined and I felt a connection to all of them. ( )

When Lily receives an invitation to an art exhibition she is undecided whether she wants to attend. She hasn't heard from her old school friend, Eve, for decades and is unsure whether to rekindle the friendship. Her mind drifts back to their first meeting, and so the story begins.
Lily is an only child of conservative parents. Eve by comparison is the middle child of her bohemian artistic parents. When Lily is invited to stay on a Friday night, her parents are happy she has made a new friend. This soon becomes a weekly event and Lily is absorbed into the carefree lifestyle, where Lily and her two sisters are allowed and encouraged to look after themselves. Lily's father suffers a work accident and Lily moves in with the family foe an extended period.
The writer conveys how infatuated and impressed Lily is with the freedoms allowed and the changing dynamics in the Trentham family as other artists are invited to become part of the communal lifestyle. There is an underlying tension to suggest that all will not end well with four young women exposed to this socially unconventional way of living.
I loved this book, the lyrical writing and depiction of societal differences of the 1930's and the evolving art scene. ( )

3.5 stars ( )

Beautifully poetic! I was completely immersed in this story, often finding myself daydreaming of the characters and the happenings within. I will definitely read it again sometime.

"There is no intimacy as great as that between young girls. Even between lovers, who cross boundaries we are accustomed to thinking of as at the furthest territories of closeness, there is a constant awareness of separateness, the wonder at the fact that the loved one is distant, whole, with a past and a mind housed behind the eyes we gaze into that exist, inviolate, without us." ( )

This was a stunner of a novel. Bitto perfectly captured, through gorgeous language, the languid beauty of childhood, where wonder can be found around every corner. Her fuzzy use of narrative details at times felt frustrating, but also stayed incredibly true to the experience of a child recounting a story that she doesn't fully understand. This will absolutely be one of the best I read this year. ( )